Upholding ethics regardless of economic standing

In a time when cash flow is tight, competition fierce and customers unrelenting, building professionals still need to put quality first and procure only quality assured materials in order to successfully complete projects.

In the face of a myriad of new suppliers offering better pricing for seemingly similar products, it is important to take note of the critical nature of the houses and structures that we build and to realise that failures of the materials can have dire consequences for inhabitants of these structures, as well as have the potential to ruin the reputation of companies found to have used inferior products.

South African Readymix Association (Sarma) General Manager, Johan van Wyk, says that readymix concrete is a prime example of a product that cannot be produced much more cheaply without cutting corners. In instances where one supplier is much cheaper than the other, they are probably using inferior non-SABS approved cement, illegal aggregates, unqualified labour and non-purpose-built equipment.

According to Johan, not all suppliers have what it takes to produce the kind of quality concrete that is required in South Africa. Dishonest suppliers may even try to provide concrete that does not conform to specifications and which may lead to the premature failure or even the collapse of the entire structure. No matter how genuine or professional the readymix supplier may seem (or how big the company is that they represent), if they are not Sarma members and are not Sarma accredited, the quality of their concrete can simply not be assured.

“This is the reason why Sarma was established – to regulate and formalise the industry, as well as accredit only readymix suppliers who comply with all the necessary requirements to produce quality concrete,” he continues. “We conduct stringent audits on all Sarma member plants (on an annual basis) to ensure compliance with quality standards, as well as health, safety and environmental compliance.